Island



common use.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM S. LANE AND JAMES E. OOONEY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND.

TOY BALLOON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,287, dated July 7, 1896.

Application filed Iebruary27, 1896. Serial No. 580,963. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM S. LANE and JAMES E. CooNEY, of Central Falls, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Balloons; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the toy balloon in It is fully explained and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

' Figure 1 represents a toy balloon in elevation with a portion broken away to show the construction of the valve inside. Fig. 2 shows the lower half of Fig. 1 from the top of the break down, the whole being turned one-quarter around to show the valve edgewise. Fig. 3 is a top view of the upper end of the valve inside the balloon. Fig. 4 is the same view as Fig. 3, showing how the valve opens by pressure on its sides.

The object of the invention is to improve the toy and increase its novelty and use, by making it easy to discharge the air from it at pleasure, to allow of its being refilled with or without making a musical accompaniment.

The construction is as follows:

A is the balloon portion, usually made of india-rubber.

B is the tube, usually made of Wood, by which the air is forced into the balloon.

The valve 0. is made of a piece of rubber tube, made to remain closed when not held open. One end of this tube is opened and drawn over the end of the inflating-tube B. This leaves the other end shut flat, as seen in Fig. 1. The neck of the balloon A is then drawn on the end of the tube B, over the valve-tube a, and a string s is wound around the three to hold them in place. When the balloon A is inflated by blowing through the tube B, the air will open the flattened end of valve a and enter the balloon, but the sides of the end will instantly close again and prevent its escape. To allow the air to come out when wished, the neck of the balloon at 1), just above the end of tube B, is squeezed with the valve inside between the thumb and finger, and that end of the valve which is closed, as in Fig. 3, will be made to open, as seen in Fig. 4, and allow the air to be forced out by the contractile force of the rubber balloon. The balloon is again inflated by blowing in through the tube and as the air passes in through the fiat sides of the valve a it will cause them to vibrate and sound a musical note, varying in intensity according to the force of the blast.

Having thus described our improvement, we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a toy balloon, the rubber balloon A, and the tube, combined with a flexible tubular valve that is flattened at its inner end so as to remain normally closed against the pres sure of air in the balloon; both the valve and the balloon being stretched over one end of the tube, and the inner end of the valve being arranged in or near the neck of the balloon so that pressure can be applied to the valve to open it and allow the air to escape, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 25th day of February, A. D.

WILLIAM S. LANE. JAMES E. COONEY. In presence of-=- JOHN F. KELLY, BENJ. ARNOLD. 

